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Dorothy Grant has been on the cutting edge all her life. The 43-year-old member of the Kaigani Haida people of British Columbia is renowned for unique Native fashion designs that highlight her artistic talent in everything from ready-to-wear to exclusive, one-of-a-kind collections. Grant's famous button blankets, spruce root hats and other garments combining art and Haida culture are on display in prominent collections and exhibits worldwide.

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Ontario Superior Court Judge Rose Toodick Boyko says she never had big dreams but has pursued interests that are meaningful to her, taking full advantage of opportunities she sees. This simple recipe for success has accompanied her since her earliest memories of life on a trapline on the Parsnip River at Findlay Forks, B.C.

Nevertheless, Boyko says she is "thrilled" to be recognized by her peers as this year's National Aboriginal Achievement Award winner in the Law and Justice category.

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Tears and cheers filled the Alberni Athletic Hall on March 19 as the Ahousaht Ravens beat Bella Coola for the British Columbia Native basketball championship.

The 1999 championship for the Ravens is their third title in the past six years. The ladies won their first championship at the 1995 tournament in Bella Bella. Their second championship came in 1997 in Terrace. The Ravens have made it to the finals every year in each of the last six years.

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They came from across the country to share their knowledge and, in fine First Nations' tradition, they did.

Writers and film, video, radio and television producers were called to Penticton to attend the third annual Aboriginal Media Arts Symposium, sponsored this year by the Indigenous Arts Service Organization (IASO) in partnership with the Ullus Collective.

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Members of the Kwanlin Dun First Nation did a spring clean-up of their political representatives by electing a new chief and council on March 22.

Out of seven candidates seeking to become chief, Rick O'Brien was narrowly elected as the new chief while incumbent Chief Joe Jack received a stern rejection from the voters. The new broom was also used on council as only two of six councillors were re-elected.

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In 26 years of mushing dogs, Stan Njootli has faced his most difficult challenges competing in the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race.

During his first attempt in the world's toughest sled dog race, the musher from Old Crow was forced to scratch after his dogs were infected with a virus. Undaunted, he returned the following year and placed 18th, winning the Red Lantern Award that goes to the last musher to finish the race.

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The Uchucklesaht First Nation, located on the northern edge of Barkley Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, held an important meeting in early March with various government and corporate officials in an effort to save their Henderson Lake sockeye and chinook salmon stocks.

This was the third annual meeting of the parties with an interest in the Henderson Watershed, hosted by the Uchucklesaht First Nation in an effort to promote conservation and recovery of the stocks.

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I have made numerous references to balancing your medicine wheel in this column. Achieving this balance can aid you in so many ways, but most importantly, it will help you to be more grounded, centered and at ease with yourself.

The four parts to our medicine wheel are: mental, emotional, physical and spiritual.

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In the August 1980 issue of National Geographic there is an article entitled "Man's 80 Centuries in Veracruz." The article says archeological evidence such as broken tools around campsites and fire pits dates from 5600 BC. It is significant that 75 of these centuries are pre-Columbian.

Could this story have been titled: "Eighty Centuries of Man in Vancouver?"

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COMMENTARY

I found it interesting to read a couple of mainstream news stories this month that weren't really related - except for the fact that they both dealt with subjects in Indian Country.